BRICKTOWN BRIGHTENING
Property owners spiff up east Bricktown
The last jagged edge to an otherwise pretty perfect makeover is about to get smoothed out as the east end of Bricktown continues to be transformed from what was an abandoned former manufacturing complex.
The east entrance to Bricktown along Sheridan Avenue was long an ugly back door to the thriving entertainment district. The area was home to a cluster of metal buildings that for decades housed Stewart Metal Fabricators.
The area languished for several years after the manufacturer ended operations. But redevelopment got a boost when Gary Brooks started clearing the north side of Sheridan Avenue between Lincoln Boulevard and Joe Carter Avenue.
That stretch of redevelopment is nearing completion with apartments, ground-floor retail and two hotels. On the east side of the street, construction is wrapping up on a Springhill Suites and the Criterion has been booking shows for the past year.
But the remainder of the south side of Sheridan Avenue has remained a blotch on an otherwise impressive street.
The eyesore includes the crumbling foundation remains that owner Joey Chaif attempted simply to stripe and use as parking. City inspectors shut down that attempt, and the property has stood unimproved with high weeds for months as Chaif entertained whether to sell the land for redevelopment or proceed with city-required improvements for a more formal parking arrangement.
Chaif is moving ahead with the parking at 420 E Sheridan Ave., and while some might have preferred redevelopment, for now it will at least no longer be an eyesore. Construction on the parking lot began Monday.
Brent and Brett Brewer, meanwhile, are taking another step on their own to improve the alley side of their properties that face California Avenue. They previously worked with Downtown Oklahoma City Inc. in commissioning artist Jack Fowler to paint his “Bricktown Octopus” mural on the 5,000-square-foot alley wall of the Chevy Bricktown Entertainment Center.
After seeing visitors taking photos of the mural, the Brewers are proceeding to clean up the alley-side former loading dock of their corporate offices.
The dock, like the back wall of the entertainment center, was previously hidden by Stewart Metal Fabricators and appearance was not a worry.
But the Brewers say they’re seeing the changes taking place in east Bricktown.
For now, they are simply creating a screening wall, ramp and steps to improve the current view of a dock used for storage. And someday, maybe, they say they might turn the loading dock into a bar.
Whether through civic pride or city enforcement, these cases show that even a parking lot and loading dock can make a difference in making the best impression for those visiting the state’s premier entertainment district.